The present invention pertains to an adjustable grid assembly, and in particular, to an adjustable replacement grid assembly for a barbecue grill.
One important component of a complete barbecue grill is the grid assembly since the food-to-be-cooked rests on the grid assembly. It is not unusual that the original grid assembly on the barbecue grill is not adjustable. Over the course of time and after continuous use, the grid assembly becomes worn or unusable so that the replacement of the grid assembly becomes necessary.
One type of replacement grid assembly comprises a replica of the non-adjustable original grid assembly. While such a non-adjustable replica grid assembly adequately performs its function, it may only be used in conjunction with the original barbecue grill. Hence, the size of the potential market for a non-adjustable replica replacement grid assembly is not as great as the potential market for a grid assembly which could accommodate barbecue grills of various dimensions.
Another type of replacement grid assembly is adjustable as to adapt to the depth of the barbecue grill by the use of slidable extension bars which slidably connect through connector tubes to the front edge and/or the rear edge of a grill body. By adjusting the distance the extension bars project from the edges of the grid body, the grid assembly can adjust to the depth of the barbecue grill. Thus, this type of grid assembly (which uses extension bars) can accommodate a number of barbecue grills which have a constant width and varying depths.
Even though the replacement grid assembly (which has the extension bars) is adjustable for the depth of the barbecue grill, there remain a number of drawbacks associated with this type of grid assembly. These extension bars do not provide for a cooking (or grilling) surface over the entire depth of the barbecue grill because the extension bars do not comprise a cooking surface.
Furthermore, the replacement grid assembly with the extension bars does not readily adapt to coating, especially coating with porcelain, because the connector tubes become filled (or clogged) with the coating material during the coating operation.
The extension bars also do not provide for a great deal of support for the grid body since the extension bars comprise only a few bars, widely-spaced apart, connected to a cross-bar. By necessity, these extension bars must be of a size that is small enough so that if they are coated they will still fit within the tube portion of the cooking grid. As a consequence only a few bars at the front edge and rear edge of the grid assembly support the weight of any food on the grid assembly. Hence, the grid assembly with the extension bars cannot typically support any more than about twenty to twenty-five pounds of food before sagging or completely collapsing.
It thus becomes apparent that it would be desirable to provide for an improved adjustable grid assembly wherein there is a cooking surface over the entire depth of the barbecue grill so as to utilize the entire cooking capability of the barbecue grill. It would also be highly desirable to provide for an improved adjustable grid assembly wherein the grid assembly has the structural integrity so as to be able support a significant amount of weight (e.g., at least from about fifty to seventy-five pounds) of food-to-be-cooked.
It is further desirable to provide ease of porcelain enamel coating, where required, so as to allow for ease of adjustability.